Should I get a Pit Bull?

Question

Are Pitbulls good?

I want a relativley easy to train dog thats protective but also playful and affectionate with kids and adults.

Im not a first time owner....... i have owned dobermans, boxers, and rottweilers.

Are Rotties Better?

Answer 1

If you want a dog to be protective, then an APBT may not be what you're looking for. They are great with kids, but you MUST socialize the dog with the kids, and never let there be unsupervised playtimes. They are very smart and catch on easily, but with their very stubborn/adament personalities, you must have a firm hand over the breed. No I don't mean hit or beat dog, but have a firm controlled hand. Otherwise, no training in the world will matter. You must inforce training. And, again, yes American pit bull terriers catch onto commands quickly, but their stubborn head strong streak can cause problems.

With their people friendly temperaments, it may be hard to get an APBT to be protective towards people unless you purchase a game bred APBT. My APBT knows no stranger, and would be the worst protective dog if that's why I got her. Same with my previous APBT's. Horrible protective dogs. But, it's not impossible.

Oh, and my APBT has never shown dog aggression...

Remeber the pit bull is not a breed, but a classification of a poorly bred dog with unknown backgrounds and genetics.

Buy the American pit bull handbook by the barron serious.

If you truly want a dog that is protective, you are going to have to train it to be so. Sometimes a close bond will be all you need, though. You should really do more research. Gettin a protective dog around kids can be a bad decision unless you truly have a firm hand. Maybe you should think about a different breed or selection of breeds.

Answer 2

If you want a protective dog for your property you do not want a APBT. They fit your other needs. They are the "Nanny Dog" and great with kids. They love everyone. No such thing as a stranger to them. I have two of those killer Pit Bulls and have been robbed twice, I think the killer dogs helped them. I got an alarm system.
If you are talking protective of property a better dog would be a German Shepard. They are also very family protective but you could have problems with strange kids and people if not trained properly. A Chow Chow is the same thing as the shepard, very protective and can be mean.
If you are talking protective of you and your family. I would guess a Pit would step in and take charge if it thought you were in danger. Most dogs will do that. I have never had the occasion to know what my Pits would do. I am guessing they would take someones arm off if they were hurting me. My little Chi/Rat Terrier would probably bite their leg. The Beagle would probably get up from his nap and leap up and take a bite.

Answer 3

I have 2 SBT's (1 female 1 male) they look exactly like the American PitBull.
The female will not tolerate any other dog I take her out at night and on a special lead which gives me more control if she sees another dog (the bigger the dog the better as far as she's concerned). On the plus side thay are both excellant with Children.
If you treat you dog right it will be ok as an adult. I do advise attending a puppy class get it used to other dogs.
we got Tia from the SBT rescue centre when she was 8 months old. I did try training but her attitude to other dogs didn't go down very well.

Answer 4

I would go Doberman, Rottie, Boxer, then pit bull. But that's just me.

Answer 5

Pis are wonderful dogs if socialized and trained properly. If you've had dobermans and rotties why not? I recall when they were the bad guys.

Answer 6

My pit bull is a service dog so yes they are good dogs. Pits are about the same to train as rotts. They are worth it.

Answer 7

Only if you can give it the attention it deserves. My American Pit Bull Terrier gets rowdy if shes not walked.

Answer 8

pitbulls are differant than most dogs. they're bred to fight. if like a beage growls at another dog then you tell it no and discipline it somehow. if you do that to a pit bull then they associate other dogs with getting punished and get even more visious toward them. my sisters bf got a pitbull and shes just a puppy and whenever she sees another dog she freaks out and starts growling. with a pitbull you're probobly going to have to get special insurance and if you own your house, most insurance companys charge extra for homeowners insurance if you have a pit bull. I wouldnt suggest getting one unless you do a lot of reading and have some extra money for the insurance.

Answer 9

Have you considered the labrador retriever? A great choice.

Answer 10

Why not? You have owned all the other problem dogs.